Humanities and Cultural Studies

Instructor: Peder Fallenius

An examination of the cultural history of modern Scandinavia with a unique focus on art and architecture. We will look at how cultural forces, such as religion, geography, and views of community and nature have shaped the ways in which Swedes have created urban space and other images of their society, i.e., art. The class will incorporate visits to Stockholm’s well-known museums into the structure and methodology of the course.

Instructor: Joel Frykholm

The course provides an overview of the role of the moving image in Swedish culture and society during the last 100 years, a period when moving image culture became increasingly more important. Swedish film and television culture is presented in relation to international trends and developments. Various approaches are considered, including the analysis of formal concerns combined with different socio-cultural perspectives as well as entertainment genres and avant-garde experiments. Industrial practice and film analysis are discussed with a focus on individual artists. Attention is also paid to case studies dealing with questions of criticism and reception.

This course is typically given credit by Film and English departments. Course enrollment is limited to the first 14 Swedish Program students who register. Consequently, interested students are encouraged to apply early.

Swedish Language 1 Instructor: Camilla Sveréus

Study of the Swedish language for beginners. The course contains the following: pronunciation, reading and listening comprehension, descriptive grammar, semantics, written and oral practice. The emphasis will be on communicative and conversational skills, listening comprehension and pronunciation. The content is based on the course literature as well as authentic texts, songs, games, study visits and other activities related to Swedish culture and everyday life.

Swedish Language 2 Instructor: Camilla Sveréus

Study of the Swedish language for students with a background in Swedish. The aim is to raise the student’s level of oral and written proficiency in Swedish and the course is adjusted to the individual student’s language skills and needs. The course contains the following: pronunciation, reading and listening comprehension, descriptive grammar, semantics, written and oral practice. The content is based on the course literature as well as authentic texts, songs, games, study visits and other activities related to Swedish culture and everyday life.

Swedish Language, AdvancedInstructor: Camilla Sveréus

Study of the Swedish language for students with a strong background in Swedish. The aim is to raise the student’s level of oral and/or written proficiency in Swedish and the course is adjusted to the individual student’s language skills and needs. The content is based on the course literature as well as novels, articles, poems, songs, movies, study visits and other activities related to Swedish culture and everyday life.

Instructor: Malin Nauwerck

This creative writing course creates a unique space for students to engage creatively with their study abroad experience in Stockholm. Students have the opportunity to express their own voice about their engagement with Sweden, i.e., their cultural experiences, observations, and impressions, through a number of literary forms such as short fiction, including flash fiction; creative non-fiction, including nature writing and memoir; lyric and narrative poetry; personal essays; and free-form journaling. Students will be challenged to examine their own creative response to a new culture – to place, to foreignness – with the responses of other writers in similar situations, both well-known authors and classmates. In Writing Sweden, students will see and engage a life both familiar and unfamiliar, both puzzling and inspiring about their host city and country. Course enrollment is limited to the first 12 Swedish Program students who register. Consequently, interested students are encouraged to apply early.

Instructor: Malin Nauwerck

The purpose of the course is to provide students with a basic knowledge of the tradition of Swedish crime fiction, and to stimulate interest and critical reflection on this subject. A selection of acclaimed Swedish crime novels is the main material of the course, but the students will also get acquainted with famous film adaptations in the genre, as well as critical analyses of important works and discussions of the genre in the book market. The course takes its starting point in the influential author-duo of Maj Sjöwall & Per Wahlöö, creators of emblematic character Martin Beck. The works of Sjöwall & Wahlöö can be seen as the incitement to the way many Swedish authors use crime fiction as a genre where societal problems and political issues can be highlighted. The genre of Swedish crime fiction will be discussed from several points of view, but special attention will be directed towards the relationships of literature to society (e.g. issues concerning class, gender, and how Sweden as a nation is (re)presented in these texts).

This course is typically given credit by English and Comparative Literature Departments.

Psychology

Instructor: Maja Wall and Hellen Vergoossen

In this course, we will look at several major theories on what is thought to influence perceptions and expressions of sex, gender, sexuality, and the possible consequences for identity and social interaction. The course will include introductions to psychological research, the history of the women’s movement, and the study of gender differences. The focus of this course is to develop a broad knowledge base and a critical mindset to be able to navigate discussions on a wide range of gender topics. We will integrate societal perspectives, personal experiences, existing psychological research, and gender theory.

The course follows the life phases and introduces fields within the psychology of sex and gender as they occur across one’s life span. Topics include the school experience, sexuality, gender in the media, and work and health.

Prerequisite: One course in Psychology. This course is typically given credit by Psychology Departments.

Instructor: Aleksandra Bujacz

In this course, we will focus on human behavior at work and in other organizational settings. Specific topics to be examined include: motivation and job satisfaction; stress and employee health; challenges and benefits of group decision-making; status and power; values, culture, and leadership; and organizational change. The course consists of three modules: I. The person and the situation: feelings, values, and goals of an individual and how are they influenced by the social environment; II. Groups and leaders: cooperation, judgment, effectiveness of teamwork, and reasons why we need leaders; and III. Stability and change in the organization: climate, culture, organizational processes, and how to initiate change.

Prerequisite: One course in Psychology. This course is typically given credit by Psychology Departments.

Economics

Instructor: Elena Paltseva

This course provides a general overview of important aspects of provision, management, and economic and political importance of energy resources and their environmental implications. More specifically, the course will address market interactions, pricing and regulation in oil, gas, coal and electricity markets. In this discussion, we will also cover most recent developments in the energy field, such as fracking revolution in oil and gas, as well as touch upon the issues of energy security. We will proceed to address the environmental aspects of energy, talk of renewable energy, emissions and emission trading, and discuss the prospects of green energy transition. To add a broader economic perspective, we will also look into the impact of energy resources, and natural resources in general, on economic and institutional development.

Prerequisites: One course in Macroeconomics, one course in Microeconomics and one course in Calculus. This course is typically given credit by Economics Departments.

Instructor: Pehr-Johan Norbäck

This course deals with the Economics of European Integration. After a brief introduction and history of the European Union, we start with the microeconomics of European Integration and examine the effects of moving towards a Europe outlined in the Treaty of Rome (1957) with free flows of goods and services, capital and people. We then turn to the macro-economics of European integration and examine benefits and costs of monetary integration and the adoption of the Euro. The course will give you the tools to understand various policy issues, ranging from the recent Greek crises to the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) currently negotiated by the EU and the US.

Prerequisite: One course in macroeconomics, one course in microeconomics and one course in calculus. This course is equivalent to a 300 level economics course. This course is typically given credit by Economics departments.

Instructor: Jungsuk Han

This direct enrollment course provides an introduction to financial economics. The focus of this course is to learn optimal financial decision making and pricing assets. The topics to be studied include: arbitrage, risk and return, optimal portfolio choice, capital asset pricing model, market efficiency, and financial derivatives.

Prerequisites: Two courses in Microeconomics, one course in Macroeconomics, one course in Statistics, and a GPA of at least 3.3 in prior Economics courses. This course is equivalent to a 300-level Economics course and typically given credit by Economics Departments. Course enrollment is limited to the first 5 Swedish Program students who register. Consequently, interested students are encouraged to apply early.

Instructor: Erik Lindqvist

Economists study the behavior of individuals, firms, and aggregates. Economic models provide ways to think about how agents act. Data allows us to quantify these relationships and test competing models against each other. This direct enrollment course provides a link between economic theory and observations from the real world. In doing so we cover a number of commonly used empirical methods. The focus will be on the practical applications of these methods and interpretation of the results.

Prerequisites: One course in Microeconomics, one course in Macroeconomics, one introductory course in Statistics, and a GPA of at least 3.3 in prior Economics courses. This course is equivalent to a 300-level Economics course and typically given credit by Economics Departments. Course enrollment is limited to the first 5 Swedish Program students who register. Consequently, interested students are encouraged to apply early.

Instructor: Paul Segerstrom

International Economics is the study of commercial transactions that take place between countries. This direct enrollment course provides an introduction to international trade. In the first part of the course, we address the question “Why do countries trade?” One answer is that countries differ in their technologies or in their resources and specialize in the things that they do relatively well. We study the Ricardian model where trade is driven by differences in labor productivity across countries and the Heckscher-Ohlin model where trade is driven by differences in resources across countries. In both models, comparative advantage considerations determine the pattern of trade, that is, which goods each country exports. The Heckscher-Ohlin model has the additional interesting property that trade always generates winners and losers.

In the second part of the course, we address the question “Why do countries restrict trade?” We study the most commonly used ways of restricting international trade: tariffs on imported goods, import quotas and export subsidies. For each form of government intervention, we solve for the equilibrium effects, who gains, who loses and by how much. Then we turn to the debate about free trade versus protectionism and present the main arguments on both sides: why countries should adopt free trade and why countries should protect industries from foreign competition. Finally, we discuss the politics underlying trade policy and why trade policy has changed over time.

Prerequisites: Two courses in Microeconomics, one course in Macroeconomics, one course in Calculus, and a GPA of at least 3.3 in prior Economics courses. This course is equivalent to a 300-level Economics course and typically given credit by Economics Departments. Course enrollment is limited to the first 10 Swedish Program students who register. Consequently, interested students are encouraged to apply early.

Public Policy, Sociology and Politics

Instructor: Frank Anechiarico

What distinguishes the Swedish criminal justice system from other European and American state and federal justice systems? By studying both the formal structure and practical behavior of police, prosecutors, court officers, and corrections administrators, the course will seek to discover the cultural and political principles underlying law enforcement in Sweden.

This course is typically given credit by Sociology, Political Science, Criminology, and Philosophy Departments. This is an excellent course for pre-law students.

Instructor: Tobias Plebuch

Sweden has a distinct and vibrant musical culture that gained international significance in classical and popular genres and more recently with the music streaming service Spotify. In this course, we will study some facets of Swedish musical life and its traditions since the late 18th century in their changing social, economic and political contexts. Topics include Swedish jazz and pop, heavy metal, folk, opera, and the country’s rich heritage of choral music. The course includes two study tours to the Swedish archive of traditional music (Svensk Visarkiv) and to the UNESCO world heritage site of Drottningholm with its well-preserved 18th-century theater.

For a glimpse into one of Stockholm’s music subcultures, click here to watch the short documentary A Winter in Stockholm.

Prerequisite: One course in Sociology, History, or Music. This class is typically given credit by Sociology, History, or Music Departments.

Instructor: Frank Anechiarico

This course will examine current approaches to understanding and assessing the process and product of public policy making, with particular attention to Sweden. Consideration of the interplay between party politics in the Riksdag (Swedish legislature) and the assessment of policy will be used to introduce issues of performance management, administrative decentralization, and privatization. Illustrative policy areas include education policy, environmental policy, and immigration and refugee policy.

This course is typically given credit by Sociology and Political Science Departments.

Humanities and Cultural Studies

Instructor: Peder Fallenius

An examination of the cultural history of modern Scandinavia with a unique focus on art and architecture. We will look at how cultural forces, such as religion, geography, and views of community and nature have shaped the ways in which Swedes have created urban space and other images of their society, i.e., art. The class will incorporate visits to Stockholm’s well-known museums into the structure and methodology of the course.

Instructor: Joel Frykholm

The course provides an overview of the role of the moving image in Swedish culture and society during the last 100 years, a period when moving image culture became increasingly more important. Swedish film and television culture is presented in relation to international trends and developments. Various approaches are considered, including the analysis of formal concerns combined with different socio-cultural perspectives as well as entertainment genres and avant-garde experiments. Industrial practice and film analysis are discussed with a focus on individual artists. Attention is also paid to case studies dealing with questions of criticism and reception.

This course is typically given credit by Film and English departments. Course enrollment is limited to the first 14 Swedish Program students who register. Consequently, interested students are encouraged to apply early.

Swedish Language 1 Instructor: Camilla Sveréus

Study of the Swedish language for beginners. The course contains the following: pronunciation, reading and listening comprehension, descriptive grammar, semantics, written and oral practice. The emphasis will be on communicative and conversational skills, listening comprehension and pronunciation. The content is based on the course literature as well as authentic texts, songs, games, study visits and other activities related to Swedish culture and everyday life.

Swedish Language 2 Instructor: Camilla Sveréus

Study of the Swedish language for students with a background in Swedish. The aim is to raise the student’s level of oral and written proficiency in Swedish and the course is adjusted to the individual student’s language skills and needs. The course contains the following: pronunciation, reading and listening comprehension, descriptive grammar, semantics, written and oral practice. The content is based on the course literature as well as authentic texts, songs, games, study visits and other activities related to Swedish culture and everyday life.

Swedish Language, AdvancedInstructor: Camilla Sveréus

Study of the Swedish language for students with a strong background in Swedish. The aim is to raise the student’s level of oral and/or written proficiency in Swedish and the course is adjusted to the individual student’s language skills and needs. The content is based on the course literature as well as novels, articles, poems, songs, movies, study visits and other activities related to Swedish culture and everyday life.

Instructor: Malin Nauwerck

This creative writing course creates a unique space for students to engage creatively with their study abroad experience in Stockholm. Students have the opportunity to express their own voice about their engagement with Sweden, i.e., their cultural experiences, observations, and impressions, through a number of literary forms such as short fiction, including flash fiction; creative non-fiction, including nature writing and memoir; lyric and narrative poetry; personal essays; and free-form journaling. Students will be challenged to examine their own creative response to a new culture – to place, to foreignness – with the responses of other writers in similar situations, both well-known authors and classmates. In Writing Sweden, students will see and engage a life both familiar and unfamiliar, both puzzling and inspiring about their host city and country. Course enrollment is limited to the first 12 Swedish Program students who register. Consequently, interested students are encouraged to apply early.

Instructor: Malin Neuwerck

The purpose of the course is to provide students with a basic knowledge of the tradition of Swedish crime fiction, and to stimulate interest and critical reflection on this subject. A selection of acclaimed Swedish crime novels is the main material of the course, but the students will also get acquainted with famous film adaptations in the genre, as well as critical analyses of important works and discussions of the genre in the book market. The course takes its starting point in the influential author-duo of Maj Sjöwall & Per Wahlöö, creators of emblematic character Martin Beck. The works of Sjöwall & Wahlöö can be seen as the incitement to the way many Swedish authors use crime fiction as a genre where societal problems and political issues can be highlighted. The genre of Swedish crime fiction will be discussed from several points of view, but special attention will be directed towards the relationships of literature to society (e.g. issues concerning class, gender, and how Sweden as a nation is (re)presented in these texts).

This course is typically given credit by English and Comparative Literature Departments.

Psychology

Instructor: Hellen Vergoossen

Language is a fundamental tool in human processes, playing a key role in sharing and influencing reality, in the transmission of cultural knowledge, and in establishing and maintaining relationships. What people say to each other strongly influences the quality of their relationships and their psychological well-being. Humans are also surrounded by language throughout the day—in face-to-face interaction, but also in the media, such as in newspapers, literature, and the Internet. The aim of this course is to explore this intersection of language, cognition, and social interaction. We will examine how language affects and is affected by cognition. Special attention will be given to how learning Swedish as a study abroad student can be seen as an empirical case study of this relationship between language, cognition, and social interaction.

Prerequisite: One course in Psychology. This course is typically given credit by Psychology Departments.

Instructor: Aleksandra Bujacz

In this course, we will focus on human behavior at work and in other organizational settings. Specific topics to be examined include: motivation and job satisfaction; stress and employee health; challenges and benefits of group decision-making; status and power; values, culture, and leadership; and organizational change. The course consists of three modules: I. The person and the situation: feelings, values, and goals of an individual and how are they influenced by the social environment; II. Groups and leaders: cooperation, judgment, effectiveness of teamwork, and reasons why we need leaders; and III. Stability and change in the organization: climate, culture, organizational processes, and how to initiate change.

Prerequisite: One course in Psychology. This course is typically given credit by Psychology Departments.

Instructor: Nadav Shir

The course provides a socio-psychological approach to personal development and growth by utilizing entrepreneurship as a framework for promoting major personal goals in work and life. Built on years of research in the fields of entrepreneurship and organizational psychology, the course is designed to provide students with theories and practical tools necessary to address the problems and opportunities involved in developing and managing oneself and others in entrepreneurship.

Prerequisites: One course in Psychology or Organizational Sociology, or any other course that addresses the current research in the interdisciplinary field of entrepreneurship. This course is typically given credit by Psychology and Sociology Departments, and other interdisciplinary departments focusing on entrepreneurship.

Economics

Instructor: Pehr-Johan Norbäck

This course deals with the Economics of European Integration. After a brief introduction and history of the European Union, we start with the microeconomics of European Integration and examine the effects of moving towards a Europe outlined in the Treaty of Rome (1957) with free flows of goods and services, capital and people. We then turn to the macro-economics of European integration and examine benefits and costs of monetary integration and the adoption of the Euro. The course will give you the tools to understand various policy issues, ranging from the recent Greek crises to the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) currently negotiated by the EU and the US.

Prerequisite: One course in macroeconomics, one course in microeconomics and one course in calculus. This course is equivalent to a 300 level economics course. This course is typically given credit by Economics departments.

Instructor: Elena Paltseva

This course provides a general overview of important aspects of provision, management, and economic and political importance of energy resources and their environmental implications. More specifically, the course will address market interactions, pricing and regulation in oil, gas, coal and electricity markets. In this discussion, we will also cover most recent developments in the energy field, such as fracking revolution in oil and gas, as well as touch upon the issues of energy security. We will proceed to address the environmental aspects of energy, talk of renewable energy, emissions and emission trading, and discuss the prospects of green energy transition. To add a broader economic perspective, we will also look into the impact of energy resources, and natural resources in general, on economic and institutional development.

Prerequisites: One course in Macroeconomics, one course in Microeconomics and one course in Calculus. This course is typically given credit by Economics Departments.

Instructor: Örjan Sjöberg

The purpose of the course is to provide an introduction to the role of institutions in economic development and structural change. It is structured around three themes: institutional theory, the nature of structural change and the role of institutions in generating the outcomes observed. Each theme is developed over the course of three lectures, followed by a compulsory small group seminar.

The first theme focuses on institutional theories and theoretical frameworks designed to account for the existence and impact of institutional variation. The second introduces the notions of economic development and structural change. Finally, using empirical examples, the third theme discusses the role of institutions in these developments. Instances of ex ante and ex post institutional change are identified, as are cases of institutional variation, complementarities and competition. The interaction and tension between developments at different scales – global, national, sub-national – are identified. Examples from Sweden, Europe and Asia are used.

Prerequisites: Two courses in Macroeconomics (including growth theory), one course in Microeconomics, one course in International Economics, one course in Calculus, and a GPA of at least 3.3 in prior Economics courses. This course is equivalent to a 300-level Economics course and typically given credit by Economics Departments. Course enrollment is limited to the first 8 Swedish Program students who register. Consequently, interested students are encouraged to apply early.

Public Policy, Sociology and Politics

Instructor: Jonas Brodin

During the Cold War, the existence of a trans-Atlantic civilization was more or less given—no one questioned that the countries of Western Europe had more in common with the countries of North America than with their immediate neighbors behind the IronCurtain. In the past several years, however, there has arisen a small cottage industry devoted to puncturing the post-Marshall Plan consensus. In other words, we are now told that Europe and America not only do not form a common civilization, but that they are fundamentally, irretrievably different.

This course will evaluate these competing claims, investigating the similarities and differences between Europe and America from the perspective of public policy. The course will be divided into three major sections. The first section, This is Europe, is an overview of the European Union and its most important policy areas and challenges. The second section, Farewell to the Welfare State?, is an overview of the past, present, and future of the European-style strong welfare state, with a focus on developments in Sweden. The final section, Multiculturalism and Its Discontents, is a discussion of Europe’s, and in particular Sweden’s, perhaps greatest challenge: how to deal with a rapidly diversifying population and the resulting conflict between competing sets of values. At the end of the course, students should have a clear grasp of the similarities and differences between Europe and America, as well as an understanding of the perspectives that inform the policies of each.

This course is typically given credit by Sociology, Political Science, and History Departments.

Instructor: Jonas Brodin

Health care systems are embedded in economic, political, and social structures and reflect a country’s cultural values. This class will look at the historical development of health care systems in Sweden and the U.S., medical education, and the type of institutional settings in which health care is provided. We will also look at the role of the health care consumer in each country and how factors such as race, class, and gender impact citizens’ access to and experience in the health care system.

This course is typically given credit by Sociology and Political Science departments.

Instructor: Jonas Brodin

People move from one place to another—and always have. Migration might be voluntary and economic—in search of a better life—or forced and political—simply to save one’s life. Whatever the nature of the migration, it always has consequences that go far beyond the simple increases and decreases in population—for example, the current migrant crisis in Europe has strengthened far-right populism and isolationism, seen most dramatically in Britain’s decision to withdraw from the EU. It should come as no surprise, then, that migration is perpetually at the center of our political discourse. In this course, we will investigate migration and its consequences from a number of different perspectives. The first section of the course will take a historical perspective, looking at past migration flows and the many ways in which those flows have transformed the places that migrants leave, pass through, and settle in. The next section examines the migrant experience from multiple angles—from how the rhetoric surrounding immigration influences public policy to the barriers and policies related to the integration of immigrants in different areas—culture, the labor market, and criminal justice. The final section of the course will critically examine current migration debates and case studies. At the end of this section—and the course—students should be able to analyze those debates and case studies and understand the consequences of migration more fully.

This course is typically given credit by Sociology and Political Science Departments.

Instructor: Nicklas Neuman

What people eat, when they eat, and how they eat reflect the specific history and culture of a society. We will examine how food in Sweden is a reflection or microcosm of the larger culture. The course will examine the ways in which modern and contemporary social, economic, and political changes—in technology, education, family structure, gender roles, public health, environmental protection, and immigration—have led to changes in food culture. Attention will be given to how class, social status, gender, race, and ethnicity affect food consumption, choice, and behavior. Food policy will also be addressed in the context of the development of the Swedish welfare state. Lastly, we will study the current food “revolution” in Nordic countries, highlighted by the recent emergence of internationally acclaimed restaurants in Sweden and Denmark, many of them focused on farm-to-table ingredients. Pre-requisite: one course in Sociology, Anthropology, or Public Policy.

This course is typically given credit by Sociology, Anthropology, and Political Science Departments.

Instructor: Karin Svedberg Helgesson

Decision Theory is an advanced course in the theories and practices of decision-making. Having completed the course, the successful participant will be able to apply decision theory to a variety of practices of complex decision making in business firms and other organizations — in everyday situations and during crisis; examine the wider context of strategic decision making and evaluate the extent to which important contingencies for such decision making may be altered (e.g. through lobbying); reflect upon her/his own role in processes of decision making (e.g. through knowledge of how bounded rationality influences the capacity of individuals in decision making) and make illustrations of it and express the insights by using course theories; explain how and why “implementation problems” may arise, and to what extent and how such problems may be addressed; and describe the range of other functions that decisions can fulfill (apart from being choices of particular courses of action), and how these alternative functions may affect decision making in practice.

Prerequisites: One course in Public Policy and one course in either the Sociology of Organizations or the Psychology of Organizations. This course is typically given credit by Political Science, Sociology, and Psychology Departments. Course enrollment is limited to the first 10 Swedish Program students who register. Consequently, interested students are encouraged to apply early.

Instructor: Karin Svedberg Helgesson and Jesper Blomberg

The purpose of this direct enrollment course is to improve students’ abilities to understand and analyze gender structures, and how issues of gender may be intertwined with everyday practices, rules, and routines in the workplace. The course further aims to improve students’ knowledge of how problems and dilemmas related to gender in the workplace are currently being addressed in organizations. Finally, an explicit aim of the course is to provide students with examples of models and tools that can be used to build better organizations where gender is not a problem but an opportunity to make work both more equal and productive.

Prerequisite: One course in Social Science or Gender Studies. This course is typically given credit by Sociology, Political Science, and Gender Studies Departments. Course enrollment is limited to the first 15 Swedish Program students who register. Consequently, interested students are encouraged to apply early.